Parcells as interim Saints coach still seems strange

Posted by Mike Florio on March 27, 2012, 8:17 PM EST

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It’s easy to understand why Saints coach Sean Payton would want Bill Parcells to serve as the team’s interim head coach during Payton’s suspension. With a one-year-only outsider stepping in, the chances of Parcells later stepping on Payton’s toes would dramatically decrease.

And while it seemed unthinkable that Parcells would take the job when the news first broke on Tuesday that Payton had talked to Parcells about it (especially since Parcells dramatically downplayed the possibility), a strange sense of momentum seems to be building toward the move.

Peter King of SI.com has offered up five reasons why Parcells would say “yes,” even though in his comments to King from Monday it seemed that Parcells was poised to pass. But there are still potential complications and other warning signs that would make an obvious quick fix seem like a long shot.

For example, Parcells is a firm believer in surrounding himself with his guys. The closest connection on the Saints’ staff comes from defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who spent two years with former Parcells assistant Tom Coughlin in New York. Parcells surely wouldn’t be as comfortable with brand-new personalities, some of whom may not be enthusiastic about taking a knee and kissing the ring.

Also, if the Saints go outside the team for an interim hire, they must comply with the Rooney Rule. But since, as Commissioner Roger Goodell said Monday, the Saints can’t hire someone who is currently under contract with another team, the Saints would have to find a minority candidate who currently is out of the NFL and who would willingly participate in a sham interview at a time when everyone knows that Parcells is the guy.

The better approach would seem to be hiring Parcells as a consultant and assigning him to help G.M. Mickey Loomis with football decisions, since Loomis doesn’t have the classic personnel evaluation background. This would also allow Parcells to take the reins completely during the eight-game suspension Loomis will begin to serve once the regular season begins. (This approach also would presumably not re-set his Hall of Fame clock to zero, given that the five-year period ran even when he served as V.P. of football operations in Miami.)

Parcells’ potential involvement gives rise to a separate problem. It’s widely recognized that Parcells does whatever Parcells well wants to do, and if he wants to communicate with Payton via a pair of bat phones and/or walkie talkies and/or tin cans on a string, Parcells is damn sure going to do it. Unless the NFL plans to continuously monitoring everything Payton says and does, there will be no way to stop it.

I talked a little bit more about the topic, or perhaps said some of the same things, during Tuesday’s PFT Live.

Parcells did such a great job as V.P. of Football operations in Miami, I hope he takes the job with the Saints. He pretty much helped run that organization into the ground.

jaltreality says:Mar 27, 2012 8:36 PM

To satisfy the Rooney rule, they wouldn’t have to go far. Why not just interview in-house? I’m sure someone working for the Saints as a coach, be it Travis Jones, Henry Ellard, Carter Sheridan, hell even Charles Byrd, would be up to helping out their organization.

stonecld33 says:Mar 27, 2012 8:40 PM

Parcells may quit halfway through the season and go back to being an analyst if the season starts to tank.

Saints fans can spot a viqueen a mile away…how many times do we have to smoke dat ass before you shut up! Not that we want you too…its so cute. I love watching you tube footage of viqueen whines when porter picked the old man off…classic. never gets old! Lmao!

saintsvstheworld says:
Mar 27, 2012 10:02 PM
Saints fans can spot a viqueen a mile away…how many times do we have to smoke dat ass before you shut up! Not that we want you too…its so cute. I love watching you tube footage of viqueen whines when porter picked the old man off…classic. never gets old! Lmao!

every fan hates your team. smoke someone while not cheating and don’t act like your team has won plural superbowls.

dablitz2 says:Mar 27, 2012 11:56 PM

Ok, the Rooney Rule needs to go. It is ridiculous that it would get in the way of a situation like this. We get the point and every team with a true vacancy would interview a minority candidate, even without the rule.

It is just stupid that they have to interview a minority candidate for this and even more stupid that they would be fined if one did not want to do it. It is time the media speak up about this stupidity.

we are hated because we are at the top and others are envious and want us to fall. too bad. its still our time. oh look. i see some piece of crap had to make a katrina reference. so typical. its like a broken record with you haters.

rajbais says:Mar 28, 2012 12:43 AM

Of course it’s strange because he declines as he goes to his next team!!!!!!

Our stupid lemming country falls for ESPN’s crap when it pretty much says what a great coach he was when he had Bill Belichick every time he had anything magnanimous for him!!!!!!

Bring in Tony Dungy. He has the touch of class this organization needs right now and a knowledge of how to handle a HOF QB.

brewdogg says:Mar 28, 2012 3:24 AM

Is it too much to ask for consistency from Saints fans? For example, if you are going to intentionally pollute the English language with French crap, shouldn’t it be New Eauxrleans? Oh, right, it’s New Awlins…. Well, what about regular stuff then? For example:

jason1980 says: Mar 27, 2012 11:15 PM

I love how the Saints scare you folks over here, and for good reason. Geaux SAINTS!!!!!

Shouldn’t this be:

I love how the Saints scare you feauxlks over here, and feauxr good reason.

While the Rooney Rule has no bite to begin with, I don’t believe it is appliciple when a team is simply bringing in a coach on an “interim” basis until the head coach comes off of suspension AND the proposed “interim” has the unique background of having the same philosophy as the suspended coach from years of coaching together

cuda1234 says:Mar 28, 2012 7:25 AM

The Rooney rule, by definition, is racist. MLK dreamed of a day when people would be judged by the content of their character, NOT the color of their skin. The Rooney Rule does just the opposite.

Saints just became remotely relevant cuz God felt
bad about drowning all those moon crickets in New Orleans.
————————–
Stay as racist and classy as you have always been. Perhaps you can laugh it up after someone you know or love is killed in a natural disaster.

Moon crickets? You’re a pathetic excuse for a human being or football fan. That was a tragedy of epic proportions. Your state deserves the Koch Bros. and being discount double-checked out of the playoffs by the G-Men.